Dale Lee Farrand

Revolution in Military Logistics: Is it Enough? Dale Lee Farrand

This thesis conducts an analysis of the United States Army's changes in tactical logistics organizations and doctrine from 1999 to 2006 and compares them against published literature to determine if changes made have been revolutionary in nature and meet the goals established by Army leadership. Using military historians MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray's definition of a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) as its measure, it determines if the collective changes in the doctrine, organization, training, mission, leadership, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF) of tactical logistics organizations meet the criteria for an RMA or are simply evolutionary in order to meet the challenges of the contemporary operating environment. Based on qualitative analysis, it concludes that the United States Army is not making any revolutionary changes in the doctrine, training, materiel, or facilities of its logistics system. However, it is making revolutionary changes in the organization, leadership, and personnel of its logistics system. Finally, it concludes that based on the seven focus areas determined by the author for a Revolution in Military Logistics, the Army has achieved two and is on the path to achieving the other five, however, with no concrete timeline.